Degassed liquids to prevent/treat decompression sickness.

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Diving Medicine

Background:

• Decompression sickness (DCS) is typically treated with recompression and oxygen.
• Current treatments aim to reduce dissolved gas load in tissues.
• Alternative strategies are needed to manage DCS effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of degassed liquid therapy as an alternative or adjunct treatment for DCS.
• To explore the hypothesis that degassed liquids can prevent or reverse DCS by increasing dissolved gas distribution.
• To evaluate the efficacy of degassed perfluorocarbons for DCS management.

Main Methods:

• Administration of degassed liquids to DCS victims.
• Utilizing high-volume liquid therapy to increase the volume of distribution for dissolved gases.
• Theoretical calculation of nitrogen dissolution in perfluorocarbons.

Main Results:

• Degassed liquids have the potential to keep supersaturated tissue gases in solution post-decompression.
• One liter of degassed perfluorocarbon can theoretically dissolve approximately 300ml of N(2) at 1 atm.
• Degassed liquids may treat mild DCS, especially in fast-compartment tissues, potentially obviating recompression.

Conclusions:

• Degassed liquid administration is a promising strategy for preventing or treating mild to moderate DCS.
• This therapy could serve as an alternative to recompression for certain DCS cases.
• Degassed liquids may enhance the effectiveness of current severe DCS treatments.